Frequently asked questions

What is Preprint.Space?

Preprint.Space is a platform for providing services to authors to help them maximise the benefits of preprint servers and ultimately help them publish robust results faster. It does this by helping authors access formalised peer review prior to submission to a journal, and also by helping authors solicit interest from editors.

How does Preprint.Space aim help reviewers?

Review agreements are one way in which we help reviewers. These let reviewers agree (anonymously) with authors on the 'terms' of the review, i.e. whether the review will be made public, how long the review will take etc.

How does Preprint.Space aim to help editors and journals?

Journals can use our platform to indicate which preprints they have under review, and also which preprints they have published. Editors can also use the platform to identify great content (via preprints which are marked as currently unsubmitted).

Are the reviews open?

Reviews can be posted as closed (just shared with author and editor) or open. There are a number of other options too, including closed until the author posts their response (at which point both become public), or closed for a certain period to allow the authors the chance to respond

When does the author receive the reviews? Are reviews moderated by an editor?

If a reviewer is using Preprint.Space, then the author will receive the review as soon as the author complets it. The reviews are not moderated in any way.

Are the reviews anonymous or signed

Reviewers have the option of either signing their reviews, or remaining anonymous.

Can reviews completed prior to submission to a journal be shared with the editor

Yes, if the author can choose to share a link to a presubmission review and their response with the editor.

How do I sign up to Preprint.Space

How do I flag preprints not yet submitted to a journal

Whenever we scan a preprint submitted by a member, we send them a link for managing their preprint using Preprint.Space which includes instructions on how to do this. Its possible to also do this manually as follows.Once you have logged in, you can search for your preprint review page using http://preprint.space/findreviewpage. Providing your ORCID is attached to the preprint, you will have the opportunity of updating the submission status via a panel in the top right-hand corner.

How do I solicit interest from journal editors

If you indicate that you have not yet decided where to submit your journal (see previous FAQ), then your paper wlil appear in this list http://preprint.space/unsubmitted. Editors are able to sign up for updates to this page with papers matching their keywords of interest. You can also specify a list of journals you are interested in receiving submission offers from, and this information is provided to subscribed editors. Preprint.Space also tweets unsubmitted preprints using hashtags #JournalEditors #preprint.

How do I identify independent reviewers

Use http://preprint.space/findreviewpage to find the review page for your preprint and log in to Preprint.Space. You will be presented with the option of generating a list of potential reviewers. This very much in development and we can't promise much at this stage, but it might help you out if you are stuck for ideas.

How do I pre-register reviewers available to review preprint

This is coming soon.

How do I request feedback from community

Use http://preprint.space/findreviewpage to find the review page for your preprint (or simply use the preprint url replacing http://biorxiv.org/ with http://preprint.space/). Once you are logged into Preprint.Space, you will have access to a webform which generates a tweet with a link to the review page and with the option of automatically embedding up to 4 pages from your pdf (embedding the major figures is a good way to generate interest in your preprint!). Preprint.Space also provides you tools to write a point-by-point response to the reviews you receive.

How do I respond to comments

Just follow the links to the review for your paper. Provided you are logged in with your ORCID, which is also listed on the paper, you will find a link to build a point-by-point response to each review.

How do I transfer reviews between journals

On the Preprint.Space review page for your preprint, you can find a link for uploading anonymous reviews. After uploading these reviews, you can generate a point-by-point rebuttal. You have the choice of publishing both the rebuttal together with the anonymous review, or keeping it private. In either case, create a link to share with the editor of the next journal you send to. We are working on ways to share the reviewer identities too (anonymous to the author, unless the reviewer has opted to sign their review).

How do I request journal-independent pre-submission peer-review

Use http://preprint.space/findreviewpage to find the review page for your preprint. On the right hand panel there is a button to nominate a editor, which takes you to a template for inviting a a colleague to act as an editor. You also have the option of declaring any potential or perceived conflict of interest (COI) with respect to this choice of editor. If the editor accepts, he/she is provided with tools to identify and invite reviewers.

How do I list preprints under review

How do I send comments to authors, signed or unsigned

How do I manage copyright of peer review

Preprint.Space provides you the option of specifying what copyright you would like to attach to your review.

How do I ask authors if they are able to make data/code/preprint prior to accepting review assignment

See author-reviewer agreement webform. This webform allows a potential reviewer to anonymously ask (prior to accepting the review assignment) the authors if they are willing to make their manuscript available as a preprint as well make data/code publicly available, or to explain what restricts them from doing so.

What does it mean if I receive a reviewer-author agreement form for my manuscript? Does that mean that the review will be publicly visible? Do I have to reply?

This just means that another academic has been invited to review your paper, but would like to use the author-reviewer agreement webform to come to an agreement with the authors about the openness of their review, posting a preprint, making data and/or code available. You can use the form you have been sent to either accept, or to explain why you can't agree to everything the reviewer is asking. You can also just ignore the email and within 72 hours we will remind the invited reviewer that they should decline the review invitation so that the editor can invite someone else to review your paper. One advantage of coming to an agreement with the reviewer is that their feedback will be provided through the Preprint.Space review system, meaning that you get the feedback as soon as they complete it, rather than having to wait for all the reviews to come back in to the journal. Many reviewers use Preprint.Space to post their review openly. However, if you are worried about receiving open-review of your manuscript, you can also indicate in the agreement that you request the review be kept private until you have had the chance to respond to it, or for it to be kept private forever.

Who are the co-founders?

The founders are a scientist (Lachlan Coin) and a software engineer (Louis Stowasser) from Brisbane. We are frustrated with the cost and speed of scientific publishing.